The best cookbooks in the UK 2023

For both professionals and amateurs, cookbooks are an indispensable learning tool. There is a wide range of them and each book has its own particularity. However, it is difficult to find the right book that perfectly matches our expectations. To help you, here is our complete guide.

In 2 hours I cook for the whole week: The Best Seller of Batch Cooking 1
8/10

Best value for money

In 2 hours I cook for the whole week: The Best Seller of Batch Cooking

The best cookbook in 2021

Batch Cooking's Best-Seller features 16 complete weekly menus. The dishes feature fresh, seasonal produce. This is a book by Caroline Pessin.

19,96 £ on Amazon

The book In 2 hours I cook for the whole week: The Best-Seller of Batch Cooking offers 16 complete weekly menus. It offers 80 balanced meals, for young and old alike. Dishes that favor products that are both fresh and in season. Moreover, everything is consumed. A kitchen with zero waste where the leftovers can be used. You can find several volumes of this book.

With the book En 2h je cuisine pour toute la semaine : Le Best-Seller du Batch Cooking, you will find a complete shopping list classified by department for each week. You will also have a weekly menu. The preparation process is done in less than 2 hours. In addition, the gestures are to be realized the same day for a last minute cooking. Caroline Pessin, culinary stylist and author of this book, has made it a culinary book accessible to the general public since it has been translated into 5 different languages.

My healthy recipes: BIM! Take charge of your life with my fitfightforever recipes 2
7/10

Best value for money

My healthy recipes: BIM! Take charge of your life with my fitfightforever recipes

The best entry-level cookbook

The cookbook My healthy recipes contains 80 ultra easy recipes. They are quick, simple to make and require very few utensils. You will find balanced and healthy dishes.

12,72 £ on Amazon

My Healthy Recipes Cookbook: BIM! Take charge with my fitfightforever recipes helps you lose weight faster. With 80 quick and easy recipes, you'll have dishes that are as healthy as they are delicious. Thanks to the advice of this sports coach, restrictive diets are over. You can regain a taste for life. The author, known on social networks, shares his culinary adventures and proposes a rebalancing of the diet to have a better shape.

The star of social networks reveals his miracle recipes with this cookbook My healthy recipes: BIM! Take charge of your life with my fitfightforever recipes. The goal of this book is to eat more, eat better while training less. Thibault Geoffray, sports coach and star on social networks, puts forward his culinary experiences. He proposes to forget restrictive diets and focus on the essentials, that is, health and good mood.

The reference kitchen 3
9/10

Best value for money

The reference kitchen

The best high-end cookbook

This cookbook offers simple techniques for everyone to reproduce. This book remains a must in the culinary world for a good start.

47,20 £ on Amazon

La cuisine de référence Édition Limitée Reliée brings all the keys to their knowledge and success to many professionals. This book continues, even today, to accompany them in the culinary world. In this version, there are 500 techniques and preparations. Each topic is illustrated with numerous pictures. The reference kitchen is therefore a very pleasant book to read and the recipes are easy to prepare.

If you want to go on a culinary journey or adventure, The Reference Kitchen Limited Edition is an indispensable companion. This book will help you progress and evolve more easily. Indeed, whether you are an enthusiast or a beginner, it contains several professional techniques to improve your skills in this art. Since it is a limited edition, it has a hardback cover to keep. The book highlights recipes that are accessible to everyone and healthy.

Nancy Singleton Hachisu - JAPAN 4
8/10

Excellent

Nancy Singleton Hachisu - JAPAN

A great cookbook

The book JAPAN THE COOKBOOK by Nancy Singleton Hachisu contains four hundred recipes. You will find very famous dishes like sushi and ramen. But also dishes that are less common in the world.

36 £ on Amazon

JAPAN THE COOKBOOK by Nancy Singleton Hachisu offers a wide range of healthy vegetable and fish dishes. A chapter is reserved for recipes from renowned chefs. The recipes are verified from home cooking. This author is a reference in Japanese cuisine, especially Japanese gastronomy. The book shows a wide range of easy recipes, most of them endemic to Japan.

The book JAPAN THE COOKBOOK by Nancy Singleton Hachisu provides many explanations of Japanese ingredients, but also suggestions for substitutions. Substitute ingredients that are easy to find in supermarkets. This book is accompanied by photos highlighting the landscapes of the Empire of the Sun as well as its typical dishes. It is perfect for those who love Japanese culture. However, it is necessary to have a minimum of knowledge about this culture in order not to get lost in the ingredients.

Buying guide • November 2023

Best cookbook

Any specific needs?

The best cookbook in 2021

The best entry-level cookbook

The best high-end cookbook

A great cookbook

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Comparison table of the best cookbooks

Top of the line Inexpensive Top of the line Excellent
In 2 hours I cook for the whole week: The Best Seller of Batch Cooking 5
8/10
My healthy recipes: BIM! Take charge of your life with my fitfightforever recipes 6
7/10
The reference kitchen 7
9/10
Nancy Singleton Hachisu - JAPAN 8
8/10
OUR SELECTION
In 2 hours I cook for the whole week: The Best Seller of Batch Cooking
My healthy recipes: BIM! Take charge of your life with my fitfightforever recipes
The reference kitchen
Nancy Singleton Hachisu - JAPAN
Batch Cooking's Best-Seller features 16 complete weekly menus. The dishes feature fresh, seasonal produce. This is a book by Caroline Pessin.
The cookbook My healthy recipes contains 80 ultra easy recipes. They are quick, simple to make and require very few utensils. You will find balanced and healthy dishes.
This cookbook offers simple techniques for everyone to reproduce. This book remains a must in the culinary world for a good start.
The book JAPAN THE COOKBOOK by Nancy Singleton Hachisu contains four hundred recipes. You will find very famous dishes like sushi and ramen. But also dishes that are less common in the world.
Number of recipes
80 balanced meals
80 simple, quick, and delicious recipes
100 favorite recipes of the French, 1000 recipes in technical cards
400 recipes
Author
Caroline Pessin
Thibault Geoffray
Michel Maincent-Morel
SINGLETON HACHISU NANCY
Item weight
1.25 kg
700 g
3.74 kg
1.68 kg
Brochure
256 pages
176 pages
1208 pages
464 pages
Publisher
Hachette Pratique; Illustrated edition
Marabout; Illustrated edition
Editions BPI; Limited Edition Hardcover
PHAIDON FRANCE; Illustrated edition

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Buying guide - cookbook

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How to choose your cookbook

Each cookbook is characterized in different ways. So here's everything you need to consider before buying a cookbook.

#1 - The category of the recipes

When it comes to categories, there's more than just the difference between appetizers, entrees and desserts, although that's not to be overlooked. In fact, cookbooks often stick to a specific theme, such as "My Healthy Recipes," for example, which focuses on dishes for fitness enthusiasts.

So, when choosing a cookbook, you need to know if the content fits the categories of recipes you are looking for. You may come across, among others, snack recipes, side dishes, or recipes exclusively designed for weight loss seekers.

#2 - The explanations

This information is relevant, especially for beginners. Indeed, finding yourself in front of a book that you don't understand a word of is the worst thing that can happen, especially if it's a book on which your lunch depends.

The question is whether you already know something about cooking, so the details don't matter to you, or whether you are a complete beginner and need to be guided every step of the way. In the first case, any book will do; in the second case, opt for a fairly explicit book.

#3 - The number of recipes

It's not a matter of knowing how many there are. The point is to know if, in case there are many, all of them are easily achievable. If, on the other hand, there are few recipes, it's a matter of knowing whether each one can be customized.

In short, it is necessary to take into account the manageability of the recipe, that is, the number of procedures by which it is possible to have a different result from the same recipe. However, it is best to always opt for the cookbook that offers a multitude of possibilities in relation to the realization of each recipe.

#4 - The layout

The layout is a variable not to be taken lightly because it is what allows the fluidity of reading. Moreover, the more orderly and well-studied the layout, the easier the recipes are to make since they are easy to understand.

So, before buying a cookbook, you should make sure that each page is clear and that the illustrations are easy to understand. All of this is to make it easier to read and carry out the recipes shown. In addition, you need to select a book that will be pleasant to read.

#5 - The accessibility of the recipes

A cookbook would be useless if the recipes in it are not, or are difficult to make. For a cookbook to have merit, we need to know whether the ingredients in the recipes are easily found at the corner grocer or the local superstore.

All this is not relevant when the reader of the book is already a professional in the field or already has a supplier of cooking ingredients in his circle of acquaintances.

How to apply cookbook recipes?

Preparation

The first thing to do is to prepare. It is best to read the recipe from beginning to end to know all the ingredients and accessories that will be used during the execution of the recipe. Thus, to better put into practice all the information, you should always make sure to have the right ingredients so as not to miss any flavor of the dish, and to have all the necessary accessories so as not to overlook anything.

Attention to detail

Applying a recipe is not an easy thing, following it correctly is even less. But the secret lies not in how you proceed, but in how you read the recipe. One wrong move, too little cooking, or a little carelessness can lead to a recipe being messed up. To avoid this, you must take into account every detail of the process and follow the recipe to the letter.

Personalization

If, in the opposite case, you do not want to follow the recipe or just take a cue from it and make it in a more personal way: free to you. But take note that the flavor will change completely and that every action you take against the recipe will have an impact on the final result.

The different types of cookbooks

All cookbooks differ in many ways. But the best way to distinguish a cookbook is the spirit of it depending on its author.

Chef's cookbooks

Chef's cookbooks are often more explicit, but compared to others, the recipes are more technical. Just take the example of Michel Maincent-Morel's "La cuisine de référence" to get an idea of what is meant by the term "chef's cookbook".

Thus, what characterizes this type of book is the complexity of the terms used in the presentation and explanation of the recipes that appear in it. The author does not dwell on the details of the process to be followed in the preparation and focuses much more on the methodical aspect of the process in question.

Professionals are therefore more apt to put into practice the information mentioned in this book.

Celebrity cookbooks

Like the book "Mes recettes healthy" by sports coach Thibault Geoffray, celebrity cookbooks are more focused on the culinary experience and the pleasure of putting into practice the advice of a well-known character to, why not, get closer to his lifestyle and put yourself in his place just by flipping through pages of a book.

It contains personal recipes whose preparation procedures are always very understandable and easy to apply. In fact, these books are accessible to everyone since there is no need to have experience in the kitchen to be able to reproduce the recipes.

The author always puts everything forward in order to impact as many people as possible, both cooking enthusiasts and his fans.

Learning cookbooks

Learning cookbooks allow thousands, even millions of people to find themselves in the kitchen, even with no notion in the field. In truth, this type of book is designed especially for those for whom cooking represents, still today, an untangible mystery.

A learning cookbook contains extremely detailed recipes and each step of the application of these recipes is well specified to facilitate the learning process. In short, it is a book of initiation to the kitchen and to the culinary universe in general. It contains recipes that are very easy to reproduce.

Cookbook or cooking show?

Cookbook

It is a physical book containing a multitude of recipes that can be reproduced by the reader. It offers a variety of preparations that can, most of the time, be personalized according to the taste and mood of each person. The number of pages and the type of dishes differ according to the theme studied. They are usually written by experts in the field, which is the assurance of quality and reliability of the recipes.

It is, let's say, the most widespread version of cookbooks. It is accessible to all because it contains explanations and guides to facilitate understanding. Moreover, the information displayed in it is concrete because you can execute it immediately without problems.

Culinary program

A cooking show is a video that you can watch on TV and see on the internet. For example: TOP Chef, 250g or Best Pastry Chef. We see one or more chefs proposing their recipe directly on TV. He displays the ingredients and then proceeds to the execution of the dishes. Who doesn't dream of remaking the recipes of the great chefs at the same time as the chef himself?

Seen directly, the design of the great chefs' handiwork looks really easy, however, this is not the case. On the screen, the dish looks delicious but at home, it can turn into a disaster. Indeed, some may not reveal the key to the success of his dish.

Verdict

A cookbook emphasizes practicality and manageability, so that it can be held and leafed through by a beginner as well as a professional, depending on the type. Each book is the assurance of a new culinary adventure that will be each time more incomparable. In addition, the physical books provide concrete and complete information.

Cooking shows can make you want to cook. However, it's best to go to the book first if you're a beginner and try the recipes from the shows once you're at the intermediate or even expert level.

Why buy a cookbook?

Learning, starting out

Cookbooks are a great way for many beginners to get started in the culinary world. What could be better than an explanatory book so that there are no more secrets concerning this part of the house. Having a cookbook is an essential asset for those who are new to cooking. Especially since it can replace months of theoretical cooking classes and act as a teacher.

Improve your cooking skills

In addition to the existence of cookbooks that help beginners to start learning, there are similar books that help amateurs. These are books that provide more technical details to allow the initiates to soak up the smell of cooking much more. Even for professionals, a cookbook can be used to get as close as possible to a specific typical dish of a given culture or country.

Entertaining

This type of book is ideal for people whose favorite activity is cooking. This activity is as entertaining as it is exciting. The more you apply the book's tips, the more you'll be able to learn about cooking and have a good time at the same time. You'll be able to taste your masterpiece with your own taste buds and grow on your own.

A cookbook as a gift: a perfect gift

Giving a cookbook as a gift is an appropriate way to please someone, especially a woman. Admittedly, it is not very common to give this kind of gift, but there is a beginning to everything. As we have often mentioned, a cookbook allows you to learn and have fun at the same time. So why not break the routine and turn a simple cookbook into a gift that can stay with someone for a long time.

Think outside the box: try new dishes

Cooking isn't just a chore to be done three times a day. It can become an escape from the daily grind and routine that often rhymes with boredom. In fact, cooking can be a lot of fun once you get your mind around it. Like any other hobby, you just have to love the process to make it a hobby. In short, a cookbook can grant you a lot of fun once you get started.

The best brands of cookbooks

In our opinion, the best brands of cookbooks in 2022 are :

Caroline Pessin
Michel Maincent-Morel
Jean-François Mallet
Cyril Lignac
Singleton Hachisu Nancy

Author and culinary stylist, Caroline Pessin focuses primarily on organic cooking. She highlights a new way of cooking healthily and simply.

Professor and production manager at the Jean-Drouant Hotel School in Paris, this author is known for high quality. He is a disciple of Auguste Escoffier.

He was born in Montargis. Author of many gastronomic cookbooks, he works in the field thanks to his talent.

Cook, pastry chef, but also TV host, Cyril Lignac knows a worldwide success. He can be seen in many culinary competition shows.

Specializing in Japanese gastronomy, Singleton Hachisu Nancy is known in the United States as well as in Japan. She is originally from California.

What is the price for a cookbook

The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).

However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.

We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.

Entry-level
15 £ to 25 £
Mid-range
25 £ to 50 £
High-end
more than 50 £
Price range diagram

Tips

Every utensil for every purpose

Please note that one mistake can ruin a whole dish, especially if you use the wrong utensil. Therefore, make sure you use the right utensil for each procedure. At least in this case, you'll be sure to follow the recipe to the letter and get the desired result.

Safe storage

Specially if you have a touchy-feely child who won't mind picking up a pen and scribbling on your book, store it in a safe place. Also, it's best to put the book in a dry corner and out of sight so that it can last a long time.

Sense of priority

When you're in front of a cookbook, know that it's necessary to prepare properly. Whether it is about the ingredients or about the appliances and utensils needed for the process, preparation is the key word.

Cleaning the workspace

Cleanliness of the work space makes the task at hand easier. Make it a habit to put every dirty spoon or plate in the sink right away. Make it a point to always keep your prep area in great shape. Not only is it nice to look at, but it will also keep you organized and on track in your kitchen.

Healthy food

When following the instructions mentioned in the cookbook, don't just have all the right ingredients. Be sure that every item used in the preparation is fresh and clean. Using healthy ingredients will ensure that you get the taste you want.

FAQ

How to create a cookbook ?

Simply group the recipes you want to put in your book in a specific order. You will need to classify them by order and by type. For the content, make sure you describe each recipe well by mentioning all the ingredients and the manipulations needed to make it.

How to publish a cookbook ?

First, you need to be sure that the recipes you will put in your cookbook are feasible by the general public. Present your book with a nice layout to make it easy to read. After that, you can proceed with the publication by self-publishing or by contacting a publishing house.

How to store your cookbooks ?

You can directly store your cookbooks in the kitchen cupboard. But to promote organization and to avoid getting lost if you have a good thirty books, opt for a safe and well-organized storage. It would be best to arrange the books on a wall shelf with compartments. This way, you can directly sort them by type.

What cookbook for beginners ?

There are books that can suit beginners as well as the initiated. On the other hand, if you are looking for a specific type of cookbook, you can surely find your happiness by scanning a few pages on the internet. In fact, every book is different, but there is a book suitable for every taste and you just have to find yours.

Sources

Note: Below are some of the sources we have consulted in writing this article. Links to other sites are not continuously updated. It is therefore possible that a link may not be found. Please use a search engine to find the desired information.
  1. Best cookbooks, natureetdecouvertes.com
  2. Create a cookbook easily and in a few steps / myposter, myposter.fr
  3. Write and publish a cookbook in 5 steps, thebookedition.com
  4. Where to store your cookbooks | Photo Slideshow!, deco.fr
  5. 10 storage ideas for storing cookbooks in the kitchen, houzz.fr
  6. 23 original decorating ideas for storing your books and magazines!, lejournaldelamaison.fr
  7. Methods for using your cookbooks and co. - Hazelnuts & Basil, noisettesetbasilic.com
  8. Here's the difference between cookbooks and cookbooks, cuistolab.com
  9. 13 celebrity cookbooks, lexpress.fr
  10. 20 celebrities who have cookbooks | Hollywoodpq.com, hollywoodpq.com
  11. Fnac : Cookbooks, fnac.com
  12. Cookbooks : All Cookbooks | Cultura, cultura.com
  13. Amazon.co.uk : cookbook, amazon.co.uk
  14. Best selling Cookbooks - Food & Wine - Book ..., livre.fnac.com
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  16. Cookbooks & World Cuisine : All ..., cultura.com
  17. The best must-have cookbooks ..., cosmopolitan.fr
  18. Cooking Books - Professionals - Hospitality and ..., eyrolles.com
  19. Cooking Bookstore | Nature & Découvertes, natureetdecouvertes.com
  20. New Cooking Books - Cooking and Wine - Book, Comic ..., livre.fnac.com
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  22. Cookbook used cheap, livre.easycash.fr
  23. Top 20 best cookbooks in 2021 - Le Juste ..., lejustechoix.fr
  24. Signed books - Philippe Etchebest, philippe-etchebest.com
  25. Books from the Simplissime collection | Hachette Pratique, hachette-pratique.com
  26. What is the best cookbook in the UK in 2021 ..., achetezlemeilleur.com
  27. Create a cookbook easily and in a few steps, myposter.fr
  28. Cookbooks | Le Creuset FR, lecreuset.fr
  29. Amazon.co.uk - 130 Recipes Special Teens Cooking - Warlop ..., amazon.co.uk
  30. A small cookbook collector's guide, abebooks.fr
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  33. [PDF] Download PDF books LIDL Mr. Cookbook, recette-delimix.fr
  34. Create a custom cookbook and recipes ..., blurb.fr
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Updates

March 2022 : Translation of this buying guide from our partner meilleurtest.fr

See more
Our selection
In 2 hours I cook for the whole week: The Best Seller of Batch Cooking 9
In 2 hours I cook for the whole week: The Best Seller of Batch Cooking
My healthy recipes: BIM! Take charge of your life with my fitfightforever recipes 10
My healthy recipes: BIM! Take charge of your life with my fitfightforever recipes
The reference kitchen 11
The reference kitchen
Nancy Singleton Hachisu - JAPAN 12
Nancy Singleton Hachisu - JAPAN

Lecteurs

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